Google Maps has a major problem

Ever wonder why your favorite local spots don't show up on Google Maps? Josh Toussaint-Strauss explains how Google Maps searches don't work as we all might assume and the that results can impact businesses. When Josh discovered that one of his favourite restaurants didn’t show up on Google Maps, despite having lots of reviews and high ratings, it sent him down a wormhole realising that what Google Maps shows us isn't necessarily what we want to see. Josh investigates the issue with Lauren Leek, a social data scientist, to find out why Google Maps is not just indexing demand but actively organising it through a ranking system based around a few core algorithmic parameters: relevance, distance, and prominence. Lauren grew so frustrated with Google's results that she decided to build her own map of London's restaurants, check out Lauren's alternative map here: https://laurenleek.eu/food-map 📌 Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:42 Why some restaurants are hidden on Google Maps 03:22 “The Matthew Effect” 04:25 What if Google Maps showed you everything? 05:06 Culinary diversity About: It’s Complicated is a new channel from @theGuardian bringing you weekly videos about the hows and whys behind the stories that matter. The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/) has been providing high-impact, independent journalism since 1821, always free from commercial and political influence. Help sustain our future by making a contribution today ► https://bit.ly/2Zyt72O Check out our other channels: https://www.youtube.com/@theGuardian/ https://www.youtube.com/@guardiannews/ #hiddengems #restaurants